The goal of this project is the prevention of blindness from trachoma and herpes simplex virus (HSV) eye infections. Our work on trachoma in North Africa has developed new methods of describing the blinding complications; these methods have been adopted by the World Health Organization. Our studies on the microbiology of trachoma have delineated the role of eye infection with Chlamydia and with bacterial pathogens in producing blinding complications. We now intend to adapt these methods for use by paramedical personnel in a large scale blindness prevention project in Tunisia. Studies on ocular HSV infections include trials of new treatment of the disease in man and animal experiments to explore how the virus damages the eye and survives between disease episodes. We are performing a survey of herpes patients to determine the extent to which this disease alters the patient's life. An open test of a new antiviral, trifluorothymidine, is being performed. Animal studies will explore the role of the autonomic ganglia in recurrent HSV eye infections, and the effect of exposure to different strains of virus. We will attempt to produce a model of chronic herpes infection of the eye with frequent shedding of virus in the conjunctiva.